Monthly Archives: December 2009

A reminder, if any of the pillars of prayer is omitted, the prayer is not accepted.

Prayers consists of

* pillars
* obligatory acts
* non obligatory acts

One must stand during obligatory prayers

Allah says in Surah Al Baqarah 2:238

Guard strictly (five obligatory) As¬Salawât (the prayers) especially the middle Salât (i.e. the best prayer ¬ ‘Asr).And stand before Allâh with obedience [and do not speak to others during the Salât (prayers)]. (238)

I had piles, so I asked the Prophet s.a.w. about the prayer. He said, “Pray while standing and if you can’t, pray while sitting and if you cannot do even that, then pray lying on your side.”

This hadith also indicates that if one finds it difficult to stand for prayer than it is permissible for him to sit. And if sitting is also difficult, than it is permissible to lie down.

It shows the importance of performing solah. That as long as we are sane and conscious, we must pray irregardless of of our physical disability. And it is good to know that Islam makes it easy for us to perform solah and take consideration of one’s physical abilities.

Voluntary Prayer

However the necessity of standing for prayer id only for the obligatory prayer. It is not necessary for one to stand when performing the voluntary prayer.

Let’s read this hadith

Prayers (Salat)

Bukhari :: Book 1 :: Volume 8 :: Hadith 393Narrated Jabir:

Allah’s Apostle used to pray (optional, non-obligatory prayer) while riding on his mount (Rahila) wherever it turned, and whenever he wanted to pray the compulsory prayer he dismounted and prayed facing the Qibla.

However in another hadith, the reward of not standing is lesser than when is standing. Thus if we can stand, we should make an effort to stand during the voluntary prayer even though it is allowed to do so.

Shortening the Prayers (At-Taqseer)

Bukhari :: Book 2 :: Volume 20 :: Hadith 216

Narrated ‘Imran bin Husain:

(who had piles) I asked Allah’s Apostle about the praying of a man while sitting. He said, “If he prays while standing it is better and he who prays while sitting gets half the reward of that who prays standing; and whoever prays while Lying gets half the reward of that who prays while sitting.”

Having said that, and after referring to fatwa in the ISLAM-QA, the lesser reward does not apply to one who is not able to stand during the obligatory prayer.

He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifieth Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. (24) Al Hashr 59:24

Only Allah can create. Nobody else can create.

And how does Allah create?

Kun Fayakun and it became.

Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, “Be!” and it is! (Yasin 36:82)

And why do we need that Allah is Al Khaliq?
So that we understand that only Allah can create everything out of nothing.
Allah is most powerful.
Make us humble to Allah.
And we must understand that ALLAH is the one who CREATES us.

And why did Allah create you?

Reflect on this ayah. AdDhariyat 52:56

And I (Allâh) created not the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me (Alone). (56)

Remember, the reason Allah creates us so that we worship Allah alone.

That is the purpose you are created. Take the advantage of this knowledge and strive hard so that you can fulfill your purpose here and enter Jannah, Allah’s creation of an eternal life.

For Z and also other activities Ideas taken from Umm Ibrahim‘s notes on Allah is the Creator. Allahummabareek.

People : To read up about different type of people n the world. race. Colour. Culture. Countries. And how some are not Muslims like us.

Reflect

O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. he is one of the Muttaqûn (pious – see V.2:2). Verily, Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Al Hujurat 49:13)

Animals :

Learn about different animals this week and always mention that Allah created them; learn about names for baby animals (kid, calf, etc) or what you call groups of a particular animal. Talk about farm animals; zoos, etc.

Nature :

Read about something different in nature each day, remembering that Allah created everything

People made house, car, computer and everything in it. People make it from wood, metal, stone, technology of which Allah created.

Activity for H is to listen to Surah Ar Rahman and reflect. To point out in this surah, among Allah’s signs and creations.

Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad (SAW)) Al-Kauthar (a river in Paradise); (1)Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only) (2) For he who hates you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)), he will be cut off (from every posterity good thing in this world and in the Hereafter). (3)

What is Al Kawthar

The Book of Prayers (Kitab Al-Salat)

Muslim :: Book 4 : Hadith 790

Anas reported: One day the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) was sitting amongst us that he dozed off. He then raised his head smilingly. We said: What makes you smile. Messenger of Allah? He said: A Sura has just been revealed to me, and then recited: In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Verily We have given thee Kauthar (fount of abundance). Therefore turn to thy Lord for prayer and offer sacrifice, and surely thy enemy is cut off (from the good). Then he (the Holy Prophet) said: Do you know what Kauthar is? We said: Allah and His Messenger know best. The Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) said: It (Kauthar) is a canal which my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious has promised me, and there is an abundance of good in it. It is a cistern and my people would come to it on the Day of Resurrection, and tumblers there would be equal to the number of stars. A servant would be turned away from (among the people gathered there). Upon this I would say: My Lord, he is one of my people, and He (the Lord) would say: You do not know that he innovated new things (in Islam) after you. Ibn Hujr made this addition in the hadith:” He (the Holy Prophet) was sitting amongst us in the mosque, and He (Allah) said: (You don’t know) what he innovated after you”

This hadith summarises what Al Kawthar. Which is a river in paradise and it has abundant of goodness.

On the judgment day there will be a pond. At which there will be many containers.

What is also important to note here is that, not everyone of the ummah is qualified to drink from this pond. Those who made innovations will be forbidden to drink it.

May Allah keep us in the straight path.

Description of Al Kawthar

Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah)

Dawud :: Book 40 : Hadith 4730

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

When the Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) was lifted to the heavens (for travelling) in Paradise, or as he said, a river whose banks were of transparent or hollowed pearls was presented to him. The angel who was with him struck it with his hand and took out musk. Muhammad (peace_be_upon_him) then asked the angel who was with him: What is this? He replied: It is al-Kawthar which Allah has given you.

More description of Al Kawthar

1. The river bank is made of hollowed pearl

2. The river smell of musk

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 581

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr:

The Prophet said, “My Lake-Fount is (so large that it takes) a month’s journey to cross it. Its water is whiter than milk, and its smell is nicer than musk (a kind of Perfume), and its drinking cups are (as numerous) as the (number of) stars of the sky; and whoever drinks from it, will never be thirsty.”

1. takes a month’s journey to cross it

2. whiter than milk

3. smell nicer than musk

4. there are numerous drinking cups more than the starts in the sky

5. whoever drinks from it will never be thirsty

The Book of Purification (Kitab Al-Taharah)Muslim :: Book 2 : Hadith 479

Abu Huraira reported: Verily Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: My Cistern has its dimensions wider than the distance between Aila and Aden, and its water is whiter than ice and sweeter than the honey diluted with milk, and its cups are more numerous than the numbers of the stars. Verily I shall prevent the (faithless) people therefrom just as a man prevents the camels of the people from his fountain. They said: Messenger of Allah, will you recognise us on that day? He said: Yes, you will have distinctive marks which nobody among the peoples (except you) will have; you would come to me with blazing forehead and bright hands and feet on account of the traces of ablution.

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 582

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Allah’s Apostle said, “The width of my Lake-Fount is equal to the distance between Aila (a town in Sham) and Sana’ (the capital of Yemen) and it has as many (numerous) jugs as the number of stars of the sky.”

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 591

Narrated Haritha bin Wahb:

I heard the Prophet mentioning the Lake-Fount (Al-Kauthar), saying, “(The width of the Lake-Fount) is equal to the distance between Medina and Sana’ (capital of Yemen).” Haritha said that he heard the Prophet saying that his Lake-Fount would be as large as the distance between Sana’ and Medina. Al-Mustaurid said to Haritha, “Didn’t you hear him talking about the vessels?” He said, “No.” Al-Mustaurid said, “The vessels are seen in it as (numberless as) the stars.”

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 579

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:

The Prophet said, “There will be a tank (Lake-Fount) in front of you as large as the distance between Jarba and Adhruh (two towns in Sham).”

1. The pond itself is wider than the distance between Aila and Aden (I think it is somewhat in between Jordan and Yemen. Correct me if I am wrong). Aila is a seaport town in Akaba, Jordan while Aden is in Yemen. Or in another hadith, the width is as big as Medina and Sana in Yemen. Also in another hadith it is as wide as two towns in Shams Jabah and Adruh. Wallahualam.

2. The water is sweeter than honey diluted in water.

3. The drink is only for the ummah of Mohammad s.a.w.

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 585

Narrated Abu Hazim from Sahl bin Sa’d:

The Prophet said, “I am your predecessor (forerunner) at the Lake-Fount, and whoever will pass by there, he will drink from it and whoever will drink from it, he will never be thirsty. There will come to me some people whom I will recognize, and they will recognize me, but a barrier will be placed between me and them.” Abu Hazim added: An-Nu’man bin Abi ‘Aiyash, on hearing me, said. “Did you hear this from Sahl?” I said, “Yes.” He said, ” I bear witness that I heard Abu Said Al-Khudri saying the same, adding that the Prophet said: ‘I will say: They are of me (i.e. my followers). It will be said, ‘You do not know what they innovated (new things) in the religion after you left’. I will say, ‘Far removed, far removed (from mercy), those who changed (their religion) after me.” Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet said, “On the Day of Resurrection a group of companions will come to me, but will be driven away from the Lake-Fount, and I will say, ‘O Lord (those are) my companions!’ It will be said, ‘You have no knowledge as to what they innovated after you left; they turned apostate as renegades (reverted from Islam).”

The Prophet said, “My Lake-Fount is (so large that it takes) a month’s journey to cross it. Its water is whiter than milk, and its smell is nicer than musk (a kind of Perfume), and its drinking cups are (as numerous) as the (number of) stars of the sky; and whoever drinks from it, will never be thirsty.”

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 588

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Apostle said, “Between my house and my pulpit there is a garden from amongst the gardens of Paradise, and my pulpit is over my Lake-Fount.”

Turn to your Lord

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

Bukhari :: Book 8 :: Volume 76 :: Hadith 580

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:

The word ‘Al-Kauthar’ means the abundant good which Allah gave to him (the Prophet Muhammad). Abu Bishr said: I said to Said, “Some people claim that it (Al-Kauthar) is a river in Paradise.” Said replied, “The river which is in Paradise is one item of that good which Allah has bestowed upon him (Muhammad).”

The second verse is a command by Allah that as He had given Rasulullah s.a.w. and abundant of goodness in this life and the Hereafter, then perform the obligatory prayers and make sacrifices solely in the name of Allah. Worship Him alone and do not associate partner with him.

This is the opposite of the idolators, prostrating to other than Allah and sacrificing in other than His name.

This teaches us also, that when we are bestowed with goodness from Allah, we should continue to prostrate to Him alone and make prayers to Him.

Among the ibadah we can do to express our gratitude

Sujud syukur

Make extra nawafil prayers particulary the one late at night

Voluntary fasting

Giving out in Charity or energy to help out in Allah’s way.

Al Abtar

In the last verse of this surah Allah says,

[إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الاٌّبْتَرُ ]

(For he who hates you, he will be cut off.) meaning, `indeed he who hates you, O Muhammad, and he hates what you have come with of guidance, truth, clear proof and manifest light, he is the most cut off, meanest, lowliest person who will not be remembered.

Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah all said, “This Ayah was revealed about Al-`As bin Wa’il. Whenever the Messenger of Allah would be mentioned (in his presence) he would say, `Leave him, for indeed he is a man who is cut off having no descendants. So when he dies he will not be remembered.’ Therefore, Allah revealed this Surah.”

Ibn `Abbas and `Ikrimah have both said, “This Surah was revealed about Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf and a group of the disbelievers of the Quraysh.” Al-Bazzar recorded that Ibn `Abbas said, “Ka`b bin Al-Ashraf came to Makkah and the Quraysh said to him, `You are the leader of them (the people). What do you think about this worthless man who is cut off from his people He claims that he is better than us while we are the people of the place of pilgrimage, the people of custodianship (of the Ka`bah), and the people who supply water to the pilgrims.’ He replied, `You all are better than him.’ So Allah revealed,

[إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الاٌّبْتَرُ ]

(For he who hates you, he will be cut off.)” This is how Al-Bazzar recorded this incident and its chain of narration is authentic.

It has been reported that `Ata’ said, “This Surah was revealed about Abu Lahab when a son of the Messenger of Allah died. Abu Lahab went to the idolators and said, `Muhammad has been cut off (i.e., from progeny) tonight.’ So concerning this Allah revealed,

[إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الاٌّبْتَرُ ]

(For he who hates you, he will be cut off.)” As-Suddi said, “When the male sons of a man died the people used to say, `He has been cut off.’ So, when the sons of the Messenger of Allah died they said, `Muhammad has been cut off.’ Thus, Allah revealed,

[إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الاٌّبْتَرُ ]

(For he who hates you, he will be cut off.)” So they thought in their ignorance that if his sons died, his remembrance would be cut off.

Allah forbid! To the contrary, Allah preserved his remembrance for all the world to see, and He obligated all the servants to follow his Law. This will continue for all of time until the Day of Gathering and the coming of the Hereafter. May the blessings of Allah and His peace be upon him forever until the Day of Assembling.

Some of the disbelievers were always mocking Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. because of the loss of all of his sons. It is common for people to say that when one has no son to inherit their name, the person will be cut off and his name will be lost and forgotten.

Allah has promised that Muhammad’s s.a.w. name will not be forgotten until the day we will all be assembled.